“The Mississippi River Delta Restoration Campaign commends
the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) for adopting
an ambitious timeline for the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion. Announced at
the Authority’s monthly meeting in New Orleans on September 18, the state plans
to complete environmental review, engineering and design documents, and permit
applications and submit them to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers by Spring
2015. Construction could begin later that year.

“The Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion is the first major
controlled sediment diversion reconnecting the Mississippi River with its delta.
It is a cornerstone of the state’s master plan for sustaining our coast. CPRA’s
timeline matches the urgency of our coastal land loss crisis. Funding from BP
oil spill settlements makes this schedule altogether feasible.

“We know that the Army Corps of Engineers and the other
federal resource agencies consider this project to be a national ecosystem
restoration priority and will do everything possible to work with the State to
make this schedule a reality. We look forward to collaborating with the State
and its federal partners to achieve this exciting and crucial 2015 construction
goal. Our coast can’t wait. It’s time to get together and get it done.”

# # #

Environmental Defense Fund (edf.org), a leading national nonprofit organization, creates transformational solutions to the most serious environmental problems. EDF links science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships. Connect with us on Twitter and Facebook.